'It's not a land grab'

GAINESVILLE - The City of Gainesville's proposed annexation of 'island' properties is not a land and tax revenue grab according to Mayor Myrtle Figueras Tuesday.

Mayor and City Council heard from City Planning Director Rusty Ligon, who told them the city's revenue portion of the annexation tax levy on all 59 properties added up to just over $65,000, not including county and city school tax.
Ligon said the 'islands' must be just that, completely surrounded by the city, and within the city's Gateway Corridor Overlay Zone.

Mayor Figueras said the city wants the annexation to clean up boundaries.

"And to look at our Gateway corridors to make all of us work from the same page," the Mayor said.

Mayor Figueras said Council also intends that the island property holders, once annexed, would not pay city tax until 2011.

"Staff was directed to look into making the annexation effective in January of 2010," Councilman Danny Dunagan said. "That way it would give the property holders two years before they would have to pay any new city taxes.
"It is o.k. for us to do that and I would like to see us do that."

Ligon said other annexation benefits included a 50 percent water rate reduction and an ISO rating of (2), enabling lower fire insurance rates.

Hall County Commissioners last Thursday voted to oppose the island annexations and take the city to court if necessary to stop it, arguing the city could take the land without owner permission and that was 'taxation without representation."

County Commissioner Ashley Bell, whose District (4) includes Gainesville voted against it. Bell appeared before City Council, saying he hopes the annexation differences between the city and county can be worked out without going to court.

"I'm going to try to have more informal communications between the two groups to try to keep this out of court," Bell said.